Late Quaternary history of the Nile

Adamson, Donald; Gasse, Françoise; Street, Florence; Williams, Martin

doi:10.1038/288050a0

Cited by 246 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Monsoon-related increases in Nile discharge, as described by Rossignol-Strick (1983), are documented by sea-level stands in northeast Africa (Rognon and Williams, 1977;Street and Grove, 1979), as well as flood-plain deposits of the Nile (Adamson et al, 1980). Investigations by Rossignol-Strick (1987), Wijmstra et al (1990), and Rohling and Hilgen (1991) support the idea that the northern borderlands of the Mediterranean went through periods of increased humidity when perihelion occurred in the northern hemisphere summer, and enhanced Mediterranean summer depressions provided higher precipitation rates.…”

Section: Scenario Of Sapropel Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The formation of Pliocene Mediterranean sapropels: constraints from high-resolution major and minor element studies

Wehausen¹,

Brumsack²

1998

Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, 160 Scientific Results

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Two Pliocene Mediterranean sediment cores from Sites 964 (Pisano Plateau, Ionian Basin) and 967 (lower northern slope of Eratosthenes Seamount, south of Cyprus), which comprise a total of 428 samples, have been analyzed for major and minor elements (Si, Ti, Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, K, Ba, Cr, Ni, V, Zn, and Zr) by X-ray fluorescence analysis at a depth resolution of 3-4 cm. Core 160-964C-9H comprises five sapropels with up to 9.7% total organic carbon (TOC), one 2.5-m-thick turbidite, and a 50-cm segment of a second turbidite, whereas Core 160-967B-9H contains eight sapropels with TOC content of up to 6.7%.Cyclic variations in carbonate content and detrital-matter composition are evident at both sites. At Site 964 (Pisano Plateau) terrigenous detrital matter chemistry reflects periods of stronger Saharan dust input alternating with fluvial input from the northern borderlands (higher K/Al and Mg/Al ratios). Cyclicity is not that well expressed at this location because turbidites or other short-term resedimentation processes occur. Site 967 (Eratosthenes Seamount) sediments are strongly influenced by discharge from the Nile River during humid periods (low K/Al and Mg/Al ratios).At Site 967 sapropels are occurring only during periods of enhanced Nile discharge and the corresponding lower

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Section: Scenario Of Sapropel Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The formation of Pliocene Mediterranean sapropels: constraints from high-resolution major and minor element studies

Wehausen¹,

Brumsack²

1998

Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, 160 Scientific Results

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“…Interesting features of this fauna, especially when considered relative to those of other East African Rift Lakes, include the low level of endemism and lack of diversification among endemic forms. These features are thought to result from repeated contacts between the Omo-Turkana Basin and the Nile system, most recently in the Holocene (Greenwood, 1976a;Adamson et al, 1980;Hopson and Hopson, 1982).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quaternary fossil fish from the Kibish Formation, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Trapani

2008

Journal of Human Evolution

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“…(McClure, 1976). Paleoclimate data from the Nile basin and cores from the eastern Mediterranean support a warmer and wetter period between 12 and 5 ka (Adamson et al, 1980). The Nile catchment basin, however, covers 30Њ of latitude and many different climatic/vegetation zones, thus complicating the climatic signal.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Initial results of the southeastern Wadi Araba, Jordan Geoarchaeological Study: Implications for shifts in late quaternary aridity

Niemi

Smith

1999

Geoarchaeology

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Wadi Araba is a linear valley that follows the northeast‐trending Dead Sea‐Jordan transform (DST) fault zone ca. 165 km north from the Gulf of Aqaba to the escarpment overlooking the Southern Ghor of the Dead Sea. An archaeological survey and geologic investigation was conducted along the southeast 75 km of Wadi Araba during three field seasons. The geoarchaeological study focused on analyzing sediments and soil development at sites and air photo interpretation of fluvial systems draining into Wadi Araba. The region is sparsely vegetated with a mean annual precipitation of < 50 mm. The topography of the area is characterized mountains of granitic basement rock that rise steeply above the valley floor along DST escarpment. The valley floor is covered with Holocene to Pleistocene alluvial fan sediments emanating from the range front, mudflat (sabkha) sediments in localized valley axis depressions, and sand dune fields. Three dominant phases of valley floor alluviation occurred during the latest Pleistocene, middle Holocene, and historical times. Preliminary results of the Southeast Araba Archaeological Survey show a large number of Chalcolithic–Early Bronze and Nabataean/Roman–Byzantine age sites and a marked paucity in sites of other ages. Chalcolithic–Early Bronze sites are concentrated on alluvial terraces approximately 3–5 m above the wadi bed tributaries to Wadi Araba and form tells (Tell Magass and Tell Ghuzlan) on an alluvial fan surface north of Aqaba. Other major cultural expansions in the southeastern side of the valley include Nabataean/Roman to Byzantine sites that are situated predominately on the valley floor, and less frequently on low alluvial terraces. The lack of continuous occupation at sites in the southeast Araba valley suggests that the extremely arid climatic conditions lessened during parts of the Holocene. The extensive distribution of archaeological sites of Chalcolithic–Early Bronze Age and Nabataean/Roman–Byzantine age and the associated development of soils indicate that these periods were marked by wetter or cooler climates. These data agree with other climatic proxy data from the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea regions. Although the evidence from the southeast Wadi Araba is not conclusive, it does suggest a southern shift of precipitation belts at approximately 6–5 ka. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Late Quaternary history of the Nile

Cited by 246 publications

References 30 publications

The formation of Pliocene Mediterranean sapropels: constraints from high-resolution major and minor element studies

The formation of Pliocene Mediterranean sapropels: constraints from high-resolution major and minor element studies

Quaternary fossil fish from the Kibish Formation, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Initial results of the southeastern Wadi Araba, Jordan Geoarchaeological Study: Implications for shifts in late quaternary aridity

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